WRT your third paragraph, Turnbull can try to emulate Abbott all he wants but that's impossible because:
- Abbott is a conviction politician;
- Turnbull isn't (well he certainly doesn't believe many of Abbotts core values); and
- Because of point 2 - people will see through him as a fraud. It would be impossible for Turnbull to be able to convince anyone that he actually believed what Abbott stands for.
And there lies trecherous Mal's dilemma - he has to mouth conservative policies if he wants to stay in power but he doesn't believe them. And people see through the political drivel he espouses trying to hold the Abbott line.
